It’s finally here! This is what I consider the best day on the NBA slate. Marquee matchups and a full day of basketball with no games overlapping. This feels like a great opportunity to thank everyone for their support since I started the site. I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to do this. I hope everyone has a safe and healthy holiday season. Now, on to basketball!
Today’s Projections | NBA Game Logs | Player Scoring Calendar
What are you going to do? Not play Russell Westbrook on National TV, at home, against the team that allows the most DraftKings points to opposing PGs? Well, if you don’t there are could be some value options in LA tonight. Chris Paul sat out Friday night against Dallas which thrust Raymond Felton into the starting lineup and 34 minutes of action. Despite the time on the court, his fantasy returns were dismal (17.5 DraftKings points. Teammate Austin Rivers was probably the bigger beneficiary in terms of usage. Rivers took 13 shots, which is the highest total of his season. He turned that in 16 real points and 25 DraftKings points. Anyone who earns ~30 minutes against the Lakers is going to be a viable option. The real concern here is that we may not know if CP3 is going to play until very close to tip-off. That tip is at 10:30 EST,a full ten hours after this slate kicks off. Without late-swap you are going to have to take on significant risk to roster ANY Clippers PG.
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We talked a few days ago about the monster minutes that Zach LaVine plays and how he has turned that into a plethora of fantasy points for his owners. LaVine has turned in 35+ DraftKings points in five of his last six and is going off a monster 55 DraftKings point game on Friday. Lavine scored 40 real points against the Kings in that outing and actually gets a $500 decrease in salary today. I’d like LaVine more if Victor Oladipo sits out for the Thunder. Oladipo is currently question after missing the last three games.
Here’s a name I never thought I’d type, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. In the three games since Blake Griffin‘s injury, Mbah a Moute has plated 31+ minutes in two of those games. That’s an obvious substantial increase for a guy who’s averaging 23 MPG this season. Mbah a Moute is usually known as a defensive presence, but he has turned in well rounded stat lines in those two games with heavy minutes. He’s coming off a 5-6-3-2-3 game for 27 DraftKings points and scored 21.25 DK points in the Denver game (31 minutes). He could make for a contrarian play on a short slate.
I’ve loved everything about Kevin Love this season but I am very worried today. I think he will earn a few more shots with J.R. Smith sidelined for the next few months, but this is a really bad matchup for Love. Remember back to the NBA Finals last season when Love was a shell of himself, stifled by the quick and small lineups that the Warriors were able to roll out. Love posted just 8.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG in the six games he played in that series. I certainly don’t think he will be that bad tonight, but I don’t think he has much upside.
Don’t overlook my buddy Al Horford today. The Celtics prized offseason acquisition has scored 40+ DraftKings points in four of his last five games despite only hitting 4 of 22 3PA in that span. That tells me there’s room for improvement on an already solid game. Horford is a walking double-double who can chip in a few other categories. The price is right in a matchup with the team that gives up the second most DraftKings points to opposing centers.
That’s all folks! Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more player analysis as news and injuries break closer to tip-off! Commentary based on DraftKings strategy and scoring.